Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz

[1]There are plenty of scary stories out there to keep you shivering beneath the blankets long after you've turned out the lights. But Raven's Gate[2], by Anthony Horowitz stands out for its great characters and ever mounting action and suspense. Fourteen-year-old orphan Matt Freeman is framed for a violent crime and given the choice of getting locked up or going into a reform program in the rural English town of Lesser Malling.

As soon as he arrives, sinister things begin to happen, and everyone who tries to help him meets an untimely end. But when he tries to escape, pedaling his bike all night down dark country roads, he arrives back where he started. After that, it quickly becomes clear that the residents of Lesser Malling have a dark plan for Matt that involves unleashing the Old Ones upon the world.

Like most Anthony Horowitz books, the climax of Raven's Gate is edge-of-your-seat reading and a good 80 pages long. Unlike Alex Ryder, Horowitz's gadget carrying, martial arts hero, Matt Freeman must rely on his wits alone to survive.

Don't miss this one. Once hooked, you'll want to read all of the titles in The Gatekeepers series. Recommended for grades 5 and up.